7/24 Phillies (Williams) @ Cubs (Lester) 3:05 CT WGN

[Little Slide Rooter]

I believe Len said the Cubs are 16-9 when Ross starts. Granted, he's catching Lester in probably 15 of those games, but he is a solid defender, but he shouldn't be catching at any other time other than when Ross is pitching, especially since we have 3 catchers. Soler and Coghlan are both showing very good signs, Rizzo and Bryant have been looking a little mystified of late, but Bryant hit a home run today. Castro is lost. Russell is meh, but good on defense. Fowler is coming back better than the last month before the break. Our hitting will be there, it might be spotty, but that's the part I think we wait for it to come into it's own, it'll happen. The 5th starter is.. Well we don't even know who that is actually..

 

Deadline NEEDS(not wants): a starting pitcher that is equal or better than Hammel and at least one proven bullpen arm, more like two.

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Did you see the article on Cubs.com by the way that hoyer is talking cubs wont do much this trade deadline and run with what they have . dont get your hopes up. im prepared to watch another AAA meatball tosser to get a shot next week!

 

Only it didn't say that.

[DiamondMind]

uuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[sontensei]

Cubs will get swept this home stand and not make any moves

[Hairyducked Idiot]

TruffleShuffle - you are exactly what makes me laugh in this forum. Look beyond ERA. Look at numbers in high pressure/leverage situations, the Cubs bullpen is among the worst in the MLB.

 

 

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Of 136 qualified relievers, the Cubs have 3 of the top 50 in Win Probability Added. That doesn't even include Grimm, who has been terrific this year and due to injury and Maddon's preference hasn't been given many high leverage innings.

 

cubs pitchers in close/late situations, per baseball reference: .221/.299/.327/.625

 

But what were their numbers in those situations *today*? QED, mofo

[downsr30]

I swear I'm like the only person on this forum that sees how not dominant the Cubs bullpen is. What pitcher in the pen comes in the game and you say "boom, game over." Because look at the Cardinals. I say that when Rosenthal comes in. Look at the Dodgers, I say that when Jansen comes in. Look at the Yankees, I say that when Betances or Miller come in, look at the Nationals, I say that when Storen comes in. We need shutdown guys, not guys who allow leadoff doubles and then pitching around them a lot of the time. We need a closer who surprises the crap out of us when he blows a save.

 

 

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[Hairyducked Idiot]

The Dodgers' bullpen is 28th in net WPA.

 

Baseball games are not won or lost in any way by how you feel at various points. Your emotions are not a scoring play.

[UMFan83]

haha I love reading these threads after losses.

[Gilby]

I need more Grimm.

[Guest]

That was Motte's first blown save of the year and the 3rd run he's given up in his last 24 innings, so color me surprised.

[CincyCubsFan]

If we were capable of scoring more than two [expletive] runs against Jerome Fatfuck Williams it wouldn't have mattered. Castro can go to hell.

[downsr30]

So who is our shutdown guy? Who do we feel confident pitching the 9th inning in a 1 run game in that wild card game? Can you honestly say if Motte went out there, you'd say you feel good about it?

 

 

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[Hairyducked Idiot]

So who is our shutdown guy? Who do we feel confident pitching the 9th inning in a 1 run game in that wild card game? Can you honestly say if Motte went out there, you'd say you feel good about it?

 

 

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Does a bullpen have to have a shutdown guy to win baseball games?

 

You may feel better if they have one, but again: your emotions are important on a human scale because you are a person and you matter in a cosmic sort of way. But they mean jack poop about baseball.

[Guest]

So who is our shutdown guy? Who do we feel confident pitching the 9th inning in a 1 run game in that wild card game? Can you honestly say if Motte went out there, you'd say you feel good about it?

 

 

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Rondon and Grimm both have sub-2 ERAs and sub-3 FIPs. Motte and Strop have slightly worse peripherals but similarly solid results, partially because they have very good stuff. Wood has been terrific as a reliever, and Ramirez has incredible stuff and was terrific last year and hasn't had the chance to get much run this year with injuries.

 

That's 6 good relievers, toss your favorite of Russell or Rosscup in there as a lefty killer and you have what the Cubs are, a very good bullpen. The Cubs are not subject to my 'confidence' that someone will get the job done, it's irrelevant.

[downsr30]

Point being we have no one that is proven out there. If Motte is as close to proven as we have, we are in trouble, because we didn't even know if he would make the bullpen out of spring training. Great for him putting together a solid last 2 1/2 months, but as we've seen Rondon, Strop, and Motte all struggle this year - who is proven? How much has Chapman struggled this year? Rosenthal? Storen? Betances? Their stuff is that good that it is so extremely rare to have a series of bad outings.

 

 

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[TruffleShuffle]

Point being we have no one that is proven out there.

 

http://reactiongifs.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/enough-internet-Dean-Winchester-supernatural.gif

[Guest]

It would be great to have Aroldis Chapman, he has transcendent stuff and helps to shorten games. His ERA is 1.74, which puts him right there with Rondon(1.93) and Grimm(1.85) on a leaderboard if you want to talk effectiveness in terms of run prevention. It is not necessary to have a transcendent reliever to win games, since you're including very good but indistinguishable from Rondon relievers like Rosenthal and Storen in this category for some reason.

[ARCubsFan]

Don't get why people think the pitching is the problem. The offense is the problem and if you think the answers are from within, the hitting coach needs to be on a short leash.

[downsr30]

Don't get why people think the pitching is the problem. The offense is the problem and if you think the answers are from within, the hitting coach needs to be on a short leash.

 

The hitting just needs to develop. It might not be this year, but regardless we knew that going into the season and we knew there would be growing pains. The pitching is where the Cubs haven't really invested. Where would you even upgrade on the Cubs offense? My best answer would be left field, but Coghlan has been one of the Cubs best on-base guys. Soler has been better since coming back. Unless you're talking about upgrading at shortstop, I'm not certain what improvements are even possible outside of possibly LF. You've gotta remember - the Cubs two most reliable hitters have been in a funk the last 20 games or so - that makes a big difference but you know those two will come around......and we can hope Castro does, but that one isn't as much of a certainty.

 

 

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[jumbo]

Don't get why people think the pitching is the problem. The offense is the problem and if you think the answers are from within, the hitting coach needs to be on a short leash.

 

The hitting just needs to develop. It might not be this year, but regardless we knew that going into the season and we knew there would be growing pains. The pitching is where the Cubs haven't really invested. Where would you even upgrade on the Cubs offense? My best answer would be left field, but Coghlan has been one of the Cubs best on-base guys. Soler has been better since coming back. Unless you're talking about upgrading at shortstop, I'm not certain what improvements are even possible outside of possibly LF. You've gotta remember - the Cubs two most reliable hitters have been in a funk the last 20 games or so - that makes a big difference but you know those two will come around......and we can hope Castro does, but that one isn't as much of a certainty.

 

 

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Upgrade the offense?

LH CF to platoon w/Fowler

2B

SS

Play Schwarber at C

[sontensei]

As stupid as I may be even I see that we don't win all those extra inning and 1 run games with a bad pen.

 

The issue is there are too many young bats that are learning on the job. It's terrible at times. We can't score runs. Rizzo hits a slump and it's even worse. Castro is just a bum. That's the problem we depend on 1 star a bunch of high upside inexperienced kids and a couple vets

[Soul]

Offense just isn't there.

 

Period end of story.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Offense just isn't there.

 

Period end of story.

 

Correct. It's really not that difficult.

 

It will in the future, and I believe a lot of the guys will blossom at different points over the next few seasons, but I just don't think it's going to happen this season.

[Guest]

We have a good shot at losing a Jerome Williams vs Jon Lester matchup. Beyond mediocre team.

 

how is a team beyond mediocre

[Derwood]

We have a good shot at losing a Jerome Williams vs Jon Lester matchup. Beyond mediocre team.

 

how is a team beyond mediocre

 

ARCubsFan orders his steak "Extra Medium"

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We have a good shot at losing a Jerome Williams vs Jon Lester matchup. Beyond mediocre team.

 

how is a team beyond mediocre

 

ARCubsFan orders his steak "Extra Medium"

 

It's a very unique preference.